Pbenjay's Blog

OK clearly this question is limited to those of us who are of either a certain age or are collectors.

Unfortunately I fall into both categories although admittedly an avid collector, records is not one of my collection addictions.  No, I leave that one up to Peter.  Yesterday was a sweet example of making a collection work for you;  Finley came over for a visit and since we know she is fascinated by all media we thought we would expose her to kiddie records from the 40’s and 50’s. We happen to have an extensive library of kiddie records because Peter’s father was a partner in Record Guild of America, a leading manufacturer of wonderful laminated and illustrated cardboard records for kids to play on their very own phonographs.   I had a really cute red and white record player like a little suitcase.  Anyway, we finally found an old one in good condition and couldn’t wait to introduce little Finny to this particular pleasure.  We thought she would be fascinated by the fact that there was sound but no moving pictures.  And she did love it!  After showing her how it worked, Peter let her put her own records on and move the needle arm and play the records.  NOW, I know I sound just like a proud grandmother, but really, she is only 2 yr. 8mo old and she quickly grasped the concept and knew to move the arm gently.  It was quite a treat for us and we hope she enjoyed it as well.

The picture goes round 'n round!

Now here’s the good part;  Mommy showed up with little Francesca for a short visit and the first thing Finley said to her was, “see my DVD‘s”  – oh well…..

So back to the first album you ever bought.  The first album I ever purchased was “Only Love Can Break A Heart” by Gene Pitney. First of all, I thought the song was great and I also liked The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence“ – what can I tell you – I was a strange teenager I guess.  The reason it was probably my first album purchase was because by the time it came out, I had some of my own money to spend, whether it was from babysitting or my weekend work at The Cenacle (that’s a whole other blog).  I was a rabid Elvis Presley fan but when he was really at his height I only owned his 45 rpm records, probably my father bought them for me.

So I’m throwing out this question in hopes of getting some interesting replies from everyone.  It will be fun to see just what was the first album you bought?

Gene Pitney

Related Articles

• What Was The First Album You Ever Bought? (buzzfeed.com)

Read Full Post »